Select Local Merchants

Ice Connection of Pittsburgh hosts a flurry of activity throughout the week, as everyone from hockey players to casual skaters take to the ice. Public skate sessions unfold every weekday and on Sunday, letting beginners brush up on their skills in a fun, safe environment. For those looking to take the sport more seriously, Ice Connection hosts lessons, figure-skating freestyle sessions, and youth hockey teams on its chilly arena floor.

A sprawling, 32-acre sports metropolis set on the Ohio River?s Neville Island, RMU Island Sports Center?s multipurpose facilities encompass activities from ice-skating to miniature golf. An indoor, 42-tee driving range throughout most of the day, the 100-yard field and domed, 75-foot high ceilings of the Golf and Sports Dome house baseball, softball, kickball, and flag football events by night before hosting after-hours singles parties for terrestrial blue whales. Adjacent to the dome, clients can execute graceful pirouettes or high-speed slap shots at the skating rink, which offers hockey leagues and lessons, figure skating programs, and public skate sessions. To fully immerse themselves in the Center?s scenic location, guests can catch riverside breezes at the RMU Island Rapids Miniature Golf Course, where golfers must contend with subtle slopes, two waterfalls, and heckling barnacles as they steer orbs through the immaculate 18-hole putters park.

When it comes to ice skating, Magic Ice USA pulls off what might be the most difficult trick of all?installing seasonal skating rinks during wintertime, then making them disappear come spring. Magic Ice handles details both big and small, from construction and equipment to installing in-ice logos and handrail advertising. And if you want a wintertime display that's extra special, check out ice slide rentals?up to 350 people per hour can speed down their slick surfaces.

Canonsburg's Iceoplex at Southpointe isn't just a free-skating haven—it's the practice spot for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Participants can twirl and spin on the same surface as the Steel City's three-time Stanley Cup winners, building skating skills or simply body-checking casual acquaintances. In addition to the celebrated rink, a large sports arena hosts rousing matches of football, indoor soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, or basketball during league times or lessons. After working up an appetite, players can head to Jay's Sports Bar and Restaurant where a menu of classic American fare and drink specials fuels post-skating revelry.

Center Ice Arena grants skaters plenty of space to perfect their gliding strides with a trio of NHL regulation size ice rinks that host open skates and lessons as well as the home games of the Allegheny Badgers amateur youth hockey. The arena starts beginners of all ages off on the right blade with its Learn to Skate program, which covers the fundamental mechanics common to speed skating, hockey, and figure skating, preparing participants for national programs or a permanent move to the North Pole. The Learn to Play Hockey program focuses the instruction, helping kids learn to turn and make hockey stops. Students and recreational skaters can show off their skills during the arena’s daily public skates, the times of which can be found on the arena’s calendar of events. A comprehensive fitness and entertainment center, the arena also houses a fitness center open to both skaters and the public, a party room, and a video arcade.

Skate Zone Fun Center houses six different zones that give visitors a variety of entertainment options. The skating rink entices them to strap on a set of wheels and glide through crowds while a live DJ spins popular radio hits. Laser Storm thrusts competitors into a friendly game of laser tag that requires quick reflexes and cunning to outscore their opponents. Suspended over the skating rink, Web City contains 10,000 square feet of rope mazes and obstacles. The 18-hole mini-golf course tests players' putting skills, and the bumper cars arena provides student drivers with a safe way to practice true-to-life parallel parking. Meanwhile, video game players in the arcade zone can redeem their tickets for prizes.